How to Make a Gift Envelope
Different kinds of cards--such as store gift cards, money-holder greeting cards or sentimental homemade cards--can make a perfect gift. You can make that gift even more personal by enclosing it in a handmade envelope. Gift envelopes are fast and easy to make. Because they can be made from scraps of wrapping paper, magazines or even wallpaper, they are economical and eco-friendly. They can be suitable for mailing and are a great addition to your product line if you make and sell crafts.
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Things You'll Need
- Flat gift item or card
- Ruler
- Colorful paper or wallpaper
- Scissors
- Calculator, optional
- Glue stick
- Festive sticker, optional
Instructions
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1
Lay your flat gift item or card on a work surface and measure its length and width. For this project, the width will be the left-to-right dimension of the card and the length will be the top-to-bottom dimension.
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2
Lay the colorful paper face down on the work surface. Cut the paper 2 inches (5 cm) wider than your card and 2 1/2 times the length of your card. If you like, use a calculator to double-check that you have the correct length for the envelope paper.
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3
Place your gift item on the paper, centering it width-wise so that 1 inch (2.5 cm) of paper shows on both the left and right sides. Fold those sides of the paper up and over your gift item, creasing the whole length of the paper. These folded sections will become your side tabs. Don't make the folds exactly on the edges of the gift--leave a bit of space so the gift will be able to slide easily into and out of the finished envelope.
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4
Open up the folds you just made. Slide the gift item up to the top half of the paper so it's closer to the top than the bottom. Exactly how far it is from the top edge will vary depending on the size of your gift and envelope paper, but you should leave enough distance to make a good-sized top flap that folds over easily.
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Fold up the bottom of the paper over the gift item, then fold the top flap down, creasing the whole width of the paper. The top flap should overlap the bottom flap by 1/2 inch (1.3 cm) or so; trim if needed.
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6
Unfold the paper again and remove the gift item. Cut out the corner pieces outlined by the folds, angling the cuts a little bit so that you're removing a small slice of each of your side tabs and top and bottom flaps as well.
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Fold in the side tabs again. Apply glue to the left and right edges of the bottom flap, then fold it up and press to adhere it to the side tabs. Let the glue set up for 10 to 15 minutes.
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Slide your gift item into the gift envelope. Seal the top flap with glue if you'll be mailing it, but if not, you can use a festive sticker to hold it closed.
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Tips & Warnings
If you're mailing the gift envelope, use adhesive-backed white mailing labels for both the delivery address and return address, and ask your post office if you'll need extra postage.
Adhesive-backed stamps will stay on the gift envelope with their own adhesive, but if you have lickable stamps, attach them with glue.
You can also use pinking shears or wavy-bladed scissors, which you can find in hobby and craft stores, to give the top flap a pretty edge.
Don't use magazine pages or wrapping paper if you'll be mailing the gift envelope--they're not sturdy enough and will rip in transit. Use wallpaper or heavy card stock.
